In a world that has gone nearly completely digital, this was such an important read. A great reminder to take time away from the screens and chaos and find ways to reconnect with God, yourself, and loved ones.

As I was reading this book at a time when social media was going bonkers, Reconnect: Spiritual Restoration from Digital Distraction was an excellent, thought-provoking book. Cyzewski begins the book by emphasizing the many ways in which social media and technology is addicting and how much it has come to control our lives by digital formation. This section is very well-researched and even includes some excellent insights on the importance of media literacy. Reading this section was quite convicting.

Cyzewski does not leave the reader here to dwell on these issues but emphasizes the need to curtail our digital obsessions so that we can spend time in spiritual formation and relationship building. Throughout Reconnect, Cyzewski frequently reference Thomas Merton's writings. Each chapter includes several questions to help readers consider the material and make practical applications of the information.

During and since reading this book, while I have not cut off my social media use, I have been more conscious of it. I'm making a conscious effort to spend time in silence or prayer instead of glued to my feed. I look forward to spending more time disconnected from technology and reconnecting with others.

I received a complementary copy from Herald Press via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Reconnect; Spiritual Restoration from Digital Distraction is a call for Christians to wake up and take a closer look at how much time we spend time digitally. Ed Cyzewski gives great insight on how technology (Apple, google, social media, etc) has evolved over the years and its impact on people today.
I found this book to be extremely convicting because I do spend a lot of time on my phone, and have also witnessed the affects it has on other people, myself included, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
I recommend reading this book if you want to read for yourself just how much the digital world is impacting people today, especially Christians.

I graciously received an advance e-copy from netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.

My review of Ed Cyzewski’s Reconnect: Spiritual Restoration from Digital Distraction, by Herald Press.

What does this book offer the church?

In Reconnect, author Ed Cyzewski offers us a glimpse into what life would look like if we weren’t so tied down to our cell phones, computers, and to social media. Ed looks at the effects that social media has on our development as people, looking also at the way that our development as technological people affect our spiritual lives. Following this discussion, which sounds like a lot of gloom and doom for a while, Cyzewski turns to look at how we should be developed as people, as Christians, offering pastoral and practical advice, followed by advice from the monks of old.

I think, when it comes down to it, quite a few Christians know that they are overly addicted to their cell phones and to social media. And quite a few would prefer a life where they didn’t feel so compelled to look at their phones so often, or they wish they could leave their email inboxes unchecked for more than a few minutes. There were quite a few things that Cyzewski offers in this book that helped me a lot. First, he notes that a lot of this pressure doesn’t always come from us – there are seeming benefits to social media and being surrounded by technology. This was nice, as it makes me feel less like a slave. But he also helpfully points out that, in the long run, these are hurting us. And in exchange for the social media he takes away, so to speak, he offers instead a great way to look at our lives if we live in the freedom of the true human life God offers us.

How successfully does it meet those goals?

The book is well-written and pastoral. If you have not read a single book on the way technology impacts our lives, the first two or three chapters might be a mind-blowing exploration for the way that social media impacts us and potentially hurts us. You might find yourself either nodding along in agreement with the perceived benefits, or you might find yourself shocked to see where these benefits are actually a detriment to your health and spirituality. That being said, you are not left there. Cyzewski transfers his conversation to thinking well about the phenomenon, giving us helpful guidelines to move out of this life. He also reminds us about what we’re missing – time with friends, family, loved ones – that are lost to the digital netherworld sometimes.

I noted that if you haven’t read a book like this before, a lot of this information might blow your mind. I am honestly unconvinced that there are people who have not read anything about this yet, though. I am trying to think of ways that this book stands out against other books with similar subjects (such as Crossway’s Twelve Ways Your Phone is Changing You), and I can’t come up with a lot that is utterly unique. That being said, if you haven’t read any books on the subject, I highly recommend this book, especially as we’re quarantined at home with more time than ever. If you have read books like this before, you might find some overlap with books you’ve read before, but you’ll still find some good information.

If you would like more information about the book, you can check out the publisher’s website. You can order this book (soon) at your local Christian bookstore, Christian Book, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon.

Every writer has their favorite writing book. I assume it's true of other crafts as well. As I made my way through this book, I kept thinking it should be as necessary as any book on the craft of writing. For we live in an age where we must write online to one degree or another. We should study how to do it well.

Ed did a good amount of research for this book. I deeply appreciated his conclusions about how church life and spiritual practices differ widely from our social media presence. They must. We need guidance through this new age of non-stop connection and information. Reconnect gives us excellent direction.

Have you ever glanced at the clock on your smartphone after what seemed like a few seconds of idle browsing, only to realize you'd wasted the last half hour of your life on social media? Have you then slammed the phone down in disgust, berating yourself for not having the willpower to stick to your resolutions about phone use?

Yeah, me too.

With the rapid changes brought to our world over the last several weeks with COVID-19, I starting turning to my phone more and more. What new changes were there? What should I do? What did I need to know?

And then one morning, after spending a sleepless night warding off panic attacks, I realized the answer was simple: Little to nothing. There was very little I could do other than what I was already doing (common sense hygiene and staying at home all the time). There was nothing I needed to know that a five minute local radio news broadcast wouldn't tell me. I could pray, of course--but my constant news checking and growing anxiety had made that very hard to do.

So I turned off the internet on my phone and picked up a book.

Suddenly I had an insight into what addicts must feel. I'd always thought I had my phone usage under control, but now I'd read a page or so, then feel anxious and jittery again. "I should check and see if anyone emailed me..." I'd think. I resisted--then after another page or two, I'd wonder whether browsing through Instagram for a few minutes would settle my nerves. Again, I resisted. Eventually, after a full day of these jittery temptations, they started to go away. The next day, I read 80 pages of Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca in just a couple nursing sessions with the new baby. I read the Bible and prayed a rosary peacefully.

After several such days, I flipped the internet back on so that I could download an audiobook. Instantly, notifications starting pinging, their little icons filling the top of my screen like presents under a Christmas tree. 45 minutes later, I'd checked email, scrolled through Instagram, read several news articles (Luckily for me, I don't have Facebook, and I pretty much gave up on Twitter after the 2016 election). Guiltily, during the last 5 of those minutes, I actually downloaded that audiobook. Baby was done nursing and napping, ready to be walked around--and I'd missed that time to bond with her, to stare at her face and run my fingers over the velvety skin of her arms.

The disgust I felt at myself made the resolution to start again easy. But it was a moment of grace that led me to open a new book on my e-reader app (despite generally disliking ebook reading): Reconnect; Spiritual Restoration from Digital Distraction, by Ed Cyzewski.

One of the first points that Ed Cyzewski makes--very compellingly--is that using your phone less isn't something most people can just decide upon and then do. It's not only because we're humans and therefore weak--it's because we're humans and therefore susceptible to the carefully constructed plans of social media entrepreneurs who go out of their way to make you addicted to their product. The amount of evidence Cyzewski provides to make this point is staggering. Over and over, he quotes the developers of media and "connecting" technology who fully admit that their plan was to get as many people addicted as possible. They want to make you anxious, because anxious people keep clicking. They want to make you outraged, because outraged people engage with their product. The problem isn't--and was never--all about your weakness or poor time management skills; you've been struggling against an enemy you didn't know was there.

The second point that struck me was how social media and smartphone use has the power to draw us away from the practices traditionally associated with drawing closer to God. Yes, you can absolutely use technology to spread the Gospel (and you should). You can use technology to remind you to pray, or to help you learn the liturgy of the hours, or--these days, especially--to livestream a liturgy when you can't be in church. BUT... you can also get addicted to the quick dopamine rush that comes when you check news or email or Instagram, making it harder to sit silently with God.

Don't worry: Reconnect is not out to make you feel guilt about technology use, nor to demand that you give it up. In times like these, especially, technology is an invaluable tool when it comes to staying in touch with our friends and family, among other things. What Reconnect does argue admirably is that technology is never the deepest or truest way to connect with family, friends, or God. Ed Cyzewski offers sound advice for going above and beyond connecting with a friend by hitting "like" on a post--and he reminds us that connecting with God is the most important connection of all.

I couldn't think of a more perfect time for this book to come out. I'm sure it's rough for an author to go about marketing a book when bookstores are closed and in person events canceled--but you can still order from your favorite bookstores online! If you need a shot of peace in a crazy world--if you need solid encouragement and sound advice, I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Thanks so much to the author for providing me with a copy of this book to review; all opinions are emphatically my own. ;)

Ed Cyzewski's book, Reconnect: Spiritual Restoration from Digital Distraction is a wake-up call for followers of Jesus to take an honest look at how screens affect their lives and more importantly, their faith. Cyzewkski shows readers how screens can hinder spiritual growth and keep them from experiencing the abundant life Jesus promised. Using a combination of Scriptures, personal experiences, and well-researched and reliable statistics, he builds his case for how to disconnect from technology and how to reconnect with God--and how to set reasonable and needed boundaries.

While technologicy promises to remain in the forefront of our lives for the near future, Cyzewski asks some hard questions about technology use. He addresses digital formation and spiritual formation and how they can intersect and how digital formation can hinder our spiritual growth. He also helps readers get a grasp on how they can control their technology use instead of letting technology and screens control them. He shows how the use of boundaries can help us grow to be what Christ has called us and made us to be. He truly helps readers understand the need for solitude and silence and how to make that happen in today's super-connected world. Each chapter includes some questions to help readers process their habits in light of the principles presented. Cyzewski also includes some resources at the back of the book that give all sorts of practical tips and tricks for making technology work FOR you and a brief look at how to draw closer to God through spiritual disciplines.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for this honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.